PREPARATION OF ORTHORHOMBIC MOLYBDENUM TRIOXIDE CRYSTALS USING A SEMIOPEN FLUX GROWTH SYSTEM

Single crystals of orthorhombic MoO3 have been prepared from the 78MoO (3)-22Na(2)MoO(4) flux. In general, crystals grown on the flux surface are larger along [1 0 0] and [0 0 1] directions compared to the [0 1 0], whereas crystals grown inside the bulk-phase flux are thicker at [ 0 1 0] directions. Two mechanisms of growth, layer-by-layer and hopper growth, have been found. Crystal imperfections have been studied usin g a 0.1 M NaOH etchant. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.